At the end of the first quarter, Equity Long Bias leads all hedge fund strategies with a 9.41% gain.

“This is the strongest start for long-biased managers in 14 years. The best first quarter for Equity Long Bias was a 10.22 percent gain back in 1998.”

After three months, the Emerging Markets Index is up 7.68%, European Equities gained 7.19%, Healthcare & Biotechnology added 7.18%, Pacific Rim Equities are up 7.05%, and the Technology Index gained 5.96%.

The only losing hedge fund strategy in 2012 is Equity Short Bias, which is down 15.66% at the end of March.

The Barclay Fund of Funds Index gained 0.48% in March, and is up 3.58% in the first quarter.

Click here to view five years of Barclay Hedge Fund Index data, or download 14 years of monthly data.

Sol Waksman is an experienced media source, providing perspectives on hedge fund and managed futures trends. For more commentary or background, call 641-472-3456 or email swaksman@barclayhedge.com.